History

Early pioneers

During the 1815 drought, Robert Lowe took up land under a ticket of occupation in the Bathurst and Mudgee districts.

Robert Lowe was the first of the Lowe family to migrate to Australia. Robert moved to Australia, the land of opportunity with his young family in 1812.

Robert had a letter of introduction to Governor Macquarie who granted him 1500 acres of land at Bringelly, near Camden. Robert built his house, naming it Birling after his wife Barbara's old home in Sussex.

Barbara died shortly after moving to Australia in 1818, leaving behind four sons and a daughter. Robert latter married Sarah Hazzard. When Robert died in 1832, the family had grown to 11 children.

Robert was a keen student of agriculture, condemning the system of agriculture wherein the same area of land was used for many successive grain crops, as he could see that it severely depleted the structure of the soil. David Lowe continues to build and improve on soil structure on his organic farmland.

During the 1815 drought, Robert took up land under a ticket of occupation in the Bathurst and Mudgee districts. It was this land that became the home to Lowe Wines.

After Robert's death, Sarah and her large family set out to live on their Mudgee holdings. With bullock wagon and their possessions, they journeyed over the mountains.

The family legends tells of Sarah being safely seen over the great dividing range to Mudgee by convicts and Aborigines who had held Robert, a Magistrate for the Bringelly and Cooke districts of Sydney, in high esteem due to his just and merciful treatment.

"Don't try a bobby lowe with me"

Robert's son, Robert, who travelled to Mudgee with his Stepmother Sarah, soon set the family up at their Goree property.

Although Robert (Bobby) is known to have been the first person to bring a plough to the Mudgee region, it was in 1863 when he gained real notoriety.

On Saturday, intelligence reached Mudgee that Mr Robert Lowe, who was travelling in a buggy on the Talbragar Road, accompanied by a man on horseback, had been stuck-up by two bushrangers, who had the last few days been successfully carrying on their de-predations in the neighbourhood of Slapdash. Mr Lowe, upon being ordered to stand, was covered with a revolver, and commanded with a threat to get out of his buggy , seeing that the determined villain was bent upon mischief, he quickly levelled a gun he happened to have with him, the contents of which he lodged in the fellow's neck and breast, which proved fatal. Mr. Lowe at once despatched a messenger to Mr Warburton, P.M., who sent the police with a conveyance for the body.

Bushrangers later commemorated his name with the warning: "Don't try a Bobby Lowe with me."

The Tinja Homestead

The Tinja property was one of a number of properties owned by the expanding Lowe family. At the time, the Lowes held the Yamble, Gooree, Wilbertree, Eurunderee, Tinja and Birriwa properties.

These properties all hold significant importance within the history of the Mudgee region.

The Tinja homestead is now home to David Lowe and lends its name to the Lowe 'Tinja' range of wines.

The house was built in 1873 by local builders, the Stoddards. The Stoddards contracted the bricklaying to an expert who spent a fair amount of time in the region constructing many of the local brick buildings.

As was the custom of the day, the bricks were made and kilned on the property. The story of the building of Tinja was however not without issues, as the bricklayer meet his untimely death when one of the walls that he was constructing collapsed on him.

In the 1920s, fire tore through one of the wings of the house. Luckily it was brought under control before it destroyed the entire building.

Years later, in 1932 the Tinja cellar was filled in - obviously the Lowe ancestors had no inkling that one day David Lowe would be one of the region's most respected winemakers.

David probably didn't release this either when, in 1974 he begun digging out this cellar by hand. A mighty task for a 14 year old; no doubt David's father Keith thought that it was a fine idea... idle hands...

With a history of innovation in agriculture in the NSW Central Ranges, fifth generation David Lowe continues to question everything that he does in his vineyard, winery and farm. From making lower alcohol wines to the Lowe Preservative Free and Organic Merlot, David's commitment is to constant improvement, education and maximum excellence.